As another election year rolls around every eligible voter is encouraged to register and participate in the upcoming primary and general elections.
According to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website the deadline to register to vote is 30 days prior to an election in which you wish to vote. This year the primary election is Tuesday, March 3, which means the deadline to register to vote is Sunday, February 2, but you have until Monday, February 3 to register.
The general election will be held Tuesday, November 3. The deadline to register for the general election is Monday, October 5. Early voting will begin October 19 and will continue until November 2.
In order to register to vote in Arkansas you must be a U.S. citizen, an Arkansas resident, age 18 or older (you must turn 18 before the election date), not a convicted felon whose sentence has not been discharged or pardoned, or Not be presently adjudged as mentally incompetent as to your ability to vote by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Registering to vote is as simple as filling out a paper form. The easiest way to get one is to visit your local county clerk’s office. The can also be obtained from the Arkansas Secretary of State’s elections division (1-800-482-1127), your local revenue office, public library, disability agency, or military recruitment office.
You can also request an application online, or print a form. The printable online form can be found at https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/elections/ArkansasVoterRegistrationApplication.pdf.
Your registration form is processed through your local county clerk’s office. Once processed you will receive a voter registration card. You must register to vote in the county where you actually live or reside. Simply owning property in a county doesn’t qualify you to vote in that county.
Once registered you can either vote by absentee ballot, or at one of several polling places to be located around your county. You can vote at any of the polling places within your county of residence.
Arkansas law does require voters to verify their identification before casting a vote.
Each voter shall verify his or her registration when voting by presenting a document or identification card that:
(a) Shows the name of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued;
(b) Shows a photograph of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued;
(c) Is issued by the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas; and
If displaying an expiration date, is not expired or expired no more than four (4) years before the date of the election in which the voter seeks to vote.
A voter will be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot if they are unable to verify their identification when they vote.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is February 25, 2020. You can request one in person until March 2, 2020.
In person early voting begins February 17, 2020 and will continue until March 2, 2020.
For more information regarding voting in Arkansas visit the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website at sos.arkansas.gov, or visit the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office in Mount Ida.
